Floating caisson.



No. 808,728. PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906. A. 0. CUNNINGHAM.

FLOATING GAISSON.

APPLICATION FILED smmzo, 1905.

2 SHEETS-$11313 1.

No. 808,728. PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906.

' A. 0. CUNNINGHAM. FLOATING CAISSON.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.20, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 UNITE STATES PATEN FFIQF.

FLOATING CAISSON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed September 20, 1905. Serial No. 279.347.

10 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW C. CUNNING- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Floating Caissons; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in. floating caissons for repairing the bottoms of floating structures, such as dry-docks and large ships, and is an auxiliary to the invention described in my application for Letters Patent of the United States filed March 10, 1905, Serial No. 249,398.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in end elevation a dry-dock with my preferred form of caisson applied thereto. Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of the caisson. Fig. 3 represents a vertical sectional elevation. thereof. Fig. 4 represents an end elevation of a dry-dock having a modified form of the floating devices for my caisson applied thereto. Fig. 5 represents a top plan view of said modification. Figs. 6 and 7 represent end elevations of further modifications, and Fig. 8 represents a detail sectional view of a portion of Fig. 7.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

As explained more fully in application above referred to, the purpose of the main invention, as therein described, is to to provide means whereby access may be had to the bottom of dry-docks in order that they may be repaired Without the employment of divers and without the necessity of docking them. To that end the bottom of the floating structure to be repaired, whether a drydock or a large ship, is made accessible to the workmen by means of an under-water caisson consisting of an open-topped chamberhaving a bottom and closed on all sides, which chamber is adapted to be entirely submerged and to be then moved into place beneath the bottom of the floating structure, whereupon a previously-flooded supplemen' tal flotationchamber arranged within the main chamber is exhausted, thereby causing the working chamber to rise until a watertight joint is made between its upper edge and the bottom to be repaired. The water is then exhausted from the working chamber,

which may then be entered from above through a shaft extending above the surface of the water.

In the drawings the floating dry-dock is indicated at a, and the working chamber of the caisson is indicated at b. The working chamber may be provided with a single shaft 1', as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, but is preferably provided with two shafts '2), as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that it may be accessible from both ends and so as to more equally distribute the upward flotation stress of the caisson upon the bottom, thereby more fully insuring the maintenance of the necessary watertight joint between the two. In other re spects the working chamber 1) and the flotation-chamber m are provided with the same adjuncts described and shown in my former applicationto Wit, the lateral oflsets h, the packing-strip (1, attached to the edge flange 0, the stairways j, the inlet-valve-controlling rod Z, the pump 1", with its pipe 8, for the working chamber, and the valve a, controlled from above by the rod 0, and the pump 19, with its pipe 9, for the flotationchamber.

The improvement which constitutes the subject matter of the present application may be briefly stated as consisting in providing the caisson with means for maintaining it by flotation at the desired depth of submergence while it is being moved into place beneath the bottom of the floating structure. So far as I am aware this feature is broadly new in structures of this character and for the purposes intended.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings, t indicates floats, which may conveniently consist of hollow chambers of sheet metal or the like adjustable vertically within guides u, so as to be set at the desired location therein. To this end the guides at are provided with a series of holes or apertures, as shown more fully in Fig. 3, as are also the cooperating angle-irons of the floats, whereby through the instrumentality of bolts inserted through these apertures, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the desired adjustment may be obtained.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5 one end of the caisson is provided with similar floats t and the other end of the caisson is provided with like floats t, which are made adjustable upon vertical bracketarms a, secured to that end of the caisson.

In the form of the invention shown inFig. 6 buoy-like floats t connect, by means of ioo chains 1), with a winding-shaft w, adapted to be rotated by means of sprocket-gear, as shown, from a hand-wheel as, so as to vary the eflectivelength of the suspending-chains.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs 7 and 8 floats t are made adjustable through the instrumentality of racks y and wormwheels'z operable from the hand-shafts 2, so as to set the floats t at varying vertical distances with respect to the caisson proper.

The mode of operation will be apparent in each of the instances illustrated in the drawings. By adjusting the floats in the proper locations the open-topped caisson may be submerged at any depth desired and without sinking beyond that depth. It may be then drawn under the bottom of the dock or other floating structure, and by again adjusting the floats it may be brought into contact with the bottom of the floating structure, its tendency to rise when the floats are released and the flotation-chamber m emptied serving to effectually seal its contact with the said bottom.

What I claim is 1. An under-water floating caisson for the purposes described, comprising an opentopped working chamber having a bottom and closed on all sides, said chamber being adapted to be entirely submerged and to be floated under the structure to be repaired,

means for gaining access to the chamber from above the water after it is in place and for exhausting the water therefrom, and floats exterior to the chamber for suspending or maintaining it at the desired depth of submergence while being moved into place; substantially as described.

2. An under-water floating caisson for the purposes described, comprising an opentopped working chamber having a bottom and closed on all sides, said chamber being adapted to be entirely submerged and to be floated under the structure to be repaired,

means for gaining access to the chamber from above the water after it is in place and for exhausting the Water therefrom, and floats exterior to the chamber for suspending or maintaining it at the desired depth of submergence while being moved into place, said floats being vertically adjustable with respect to the chamber; substantially as described.

3. An under-water floating caisson for the purposes described, comprising an opentopped working chamber having a bottom and closed on all sides, said chamber being adapted to be entirely submerged and to be floated under the structure to be repaired, means for gaining access to the chamber from above the water after it is in place and exhausting the water therefrom, and floats exterior to the chamber for suspending or maintaining it at the desired depth of submergence while being moved into place, said floats being vertically adjustable with respect to the chamber by worm and rack gear; substantially as described.

4. An underwater floating caisson for the purposes described, comprising an opentopped working chamber having a bottom and closed on all sides, said chamber being adapted to be entirely submerged and to be floated under the structure to be repaired, means for gaining access to the chamber from above the water after it is in place and for exhausting the water therefrom, and floats exterior to the chamber for suspending or maintaining it at the desired depth of submergence while being moved into place, said floats being connected to opposite ends of the chamber; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW C. CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses:

JOHN C. PENNIE, EDWIN S. CLARKsoN. 

